Endorsement of LGBTIQ Tourism Projects in Sri Lanka legally challenged

A writ petition has been filed in the Court of Appeal challenging the legality of an alleged endorsement by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) of projects aimed at promoting and developing LGBTIQ tourism in Sri Lanka.

- By LAKMAL SOORIYAGODA

The petition has been filed by Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekara, President and Convener of the Federation of National Organisations, Dr. Wasantha Bandara, Secretary of the Patriotic National Movement, and two others. They are seeking an order staying the operation of a letter allegedly issued by the Chairman of the SLTDA endorsing such initiatives.

According to the petitioners, they had discovered a letter dated September 9, 2025, written by the Chairman of the SLTDA and the SLTPB, titled “Endorsement of the Project on Promoting and Developing LGBTIQ Tourism in Sri Lanka.” The letter is said to have formally recognised a proposal by the organisation EQUAL GROUND to promote LGBTIQ-inclusive tourism and to have authorised coordination with other tourism sector entities to facilitate the project.